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NASA finally has a new boss after a year-long wait

Jim Bridenstine is one step closer to leading NASA

Sue Ogrocki/AP/REX/Shutterstock

By Leah Crane

Update 19 April 2018:Seven months after being nominated as NASA Administrator, US congressman Jim Bridenstine has now been confirmed to head the agency. His confirmation was approved by a vote of 50-49 in the US Senate.

Like previous votes to advance Bridenstine, it fell along party lines, with Republicans supporting the nomination and Democrats opposing it. The confirmation came just in time – Robert Lightfoot, who served as as NASA’s acting Administrator during the agency’s longest stint without permanent leadership, is retiring at the end of April.

Original article, published 18 January 2018

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NASA may soon have a new leader to direct its efforts to return astronauts to the moon. After two contentious hearings in the past 3 months, US congressman Jim Bridenstine is one step closer to be confirmed as NASA Administrator.

Today’s 14-13 decision to take up a vote in the full Senate was split along party lines. This is the same result of a November 2017 hearing. Because the previous nomination did not reach the Senate before the end of last year, Bridenstine had to be re-nominated and another vote taken.

During the 2017 hearing, Bridenstine faced opposition from Democrats, who cited his past statements on climate change, his qualifications, and concerns that he might not be able to lead NASA without interference from partisan beliefs and interests.

Of particular concern were Bridenstine’s past statements about climate change, in which he expressed scepticism that human activity contributes to global warming. NASA is deeply involved in climate research, including satellites that track climate change and its effects.

Contentious candidate

Republican senators cite his military experience as a US Navy pilot as a qualification for the job. Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who opposed Bridenstine’s nomination in 2017, stood firm on his previous assessment.

“The facts of this nomination have not changed,” Nelson said. “He has no experience managing a large organization or program, no background in science or engineering, and a history of political divisiveness.”

The nomination will now proceed to the Senate floor where, if the votes continue along party lines, he will likely be confirmed and replace NASA’s acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot, who has been running the agency for a year.

In December, President Trump signed a directive ordering NASA to send humans to the moon, shifting the agency’s prime target away from Mars.